Published By: The Tapping Solution

Written By: Nick Ortner

Tapping for Test Anxiety

Math had always been Naomi’s weak point. A great student in every other subject, Naomi’s math grades had been just barely above the passing mark since elementary school. Now that she was in high school and colleges would be checking her transcripts, her low math grades were becoming a bigger problem.

Given that her math scores had been low for so many years, Naomi’s parents understandably assumed that math simply wasn’t her strong suit. To help her improve, they found her a math tutor, hoping the extra practice would help Naomi perform better, especially on tests.

After working with Naomi, the tutor shared some surprising news. In the comfort of their home, Naomi had successfully completed all of the math exercises the tutor had given her. Rather than lacking skill or knowledge in math, the tutor suggested that Naomi might be suffering from math test anxiety.

Was it really about Math?

Willing to pursue this as a possibility, Naomi’s mother did some Tapping with her on how much she hated math and dreaded math tests. After this general Tapping on her anxiety about math, her mother then asked Naomi if anyone had ever laughed at her in math class. Naomi recalled a time in kindergarten, when she was 5 years old, when the other students had laughed at her for not being able to count to 100. The two of them tapped together on releasing the embarrassment she’d felt at the time. Once they were done releasing the emotional charge of that event, Naomi’s mother told her to go to the bathroom before the next math test and do some Tapping in the stall to calm her anxiety.

As a result of her Tapping, Naomi’s math grades increased by almost 40%. She has since attended a Math & Sciences high school, where she was often called upon to help other students who were struggling in math—and best of all, one day she came home and announced to her mother that math was her favorite subject.

Child Tapping: Releasing Test Anxiety

Is your child facing test anxiety or other anxiety in school? Here is how you can use Tapping to help.

The best place to start with test anxiety is on the anxiety itself. Begin by asking your child to rate his or her test anxiety, on a scale of 0 to 10. A rating of “0” would be a minimal amount of anxiety, or none, and “10” would be the highest. For younger children, you can ask them to show with their arms using the “this much” method of measurement. To do this, your child puts his/her hands together in front of him/her. Hands close together or touching would be minimal amount, and arms open wide would be the greatest amount. This helps young children conceptualize that there can be a range of intensity in a feeling, and that you can help yourself to bring that feeling to a more manageable amount.

You can download this child-friendly Tapping diagram, along with many other free resources, here.

Then begin by Tapping 3 times on the Karate Chop point:

Karate Chop (Repeat 3 times): Even though I’m so anxious about this test, I’m great and everything’s okay.

Eyebrow: So anxious about this testSide of Eye: What if I mess it up?Under Eye: So nervous about messing it upUnder Nose: So much anxiety about taking this testUnder Mouth: All this nervousnessCollarbone: I don’t want to take itUnder Arm: This test is making me so anxiousTop of Head: It feels like such a big deal

Eyebrow: So anxious about this testSide of Eye: Is it such a big deal?Under Eye: It’s just a test!Under Nose: I can handle this testUnder Mouth: I don’t have to be so anxiousCollarbone: It’s just a testUnder Arm: I can do thisTop of Head: Releasing this test anxiety now

Eyebrow: I can focus on learningSide of Eye: And let go of this anxietyUnder Eye: It’s just a testUnder Nose: I can relax and focus on practicingUnder Mouth: Letting go of this anxietyCollarbone: I’m great!Under Arm: And I can do thisTop of Head: Relaxing and letting this anxiety go now

Take a deep breath together and check back in with your child on his/her anxiety. Ask him/her to rate the intensity again from 0 to 10, or to show with his/her hands. Keep Tapping until s/he gets the desired relief. It is normal to do multiple rounds of Tapping.

If your child’s test anxiety stems from a past “trigger” event, as was the case for Naomi, ask him or her to tell the story while Tapping through the points. Once s/he can repeat the entire story without experiencing an emotional charge, you know you’ve neutralized that original event.

Can I use Tapping for…?

You can learn more about Naomi’s journey along with many other children, teenagers, and families who used Tapping to manage their everyday stressors in my new book, The Tapping Solution for Parents, Children and Teenagers. Whether your child, or student, is dealing with common social issues, school-related anxiety, or a specific diagnosis, this book will support you in understanding your role and providing specific tools to encourage success and lifelong achievement.

The best part is that with every purchase of this book, 100% of the proceeds, in perpetuity, will be donated to The Tapping Solution Foundation to continue bringing free EFT Tapping resources to schools and families, and providing trauma relief around the world.